VERIFY: Is a Bell County animal sanctuary in dire need of help?

Channel 6 News can confirm a viral Facebook post seeking donations for a Bell County animal rescue organization is legitimate, after the post was shared more than 1,200 times.

Goatopia Sanctuary -- which is located just outside the Temple city limits in Zabcikville -- cares for roughly 75 animals, including dogs, cats, pigs, ducks, goats, and even deer.

The Texas heat has caused the rescue group's water bill to spike, as it tries to hydrate all the animals. Owner Misti Eason, who runs the sanctuary from a trailer home and small parcel of land, said her normal water bill would be roughly $80, but the cost of hydrating the animals raises the bill to approximately $200 per month. And, she and her fiancé are already $400 behind, she said.

However, Eason said she is not asking for financial donations. Instead, she is encouraging anyone interested in helping the sanctuary to consider donating food or some other item off her Amazon wish list. A local woman named Ruth Cain made an early morning delivery Tuesday -- with a truck full of supplies, according to a Facebook post.

If a person would rather donate money, there is a PayPal page available here.

The rescue group has been helping animals since 2015, and the animals are often either older animals or ones other organizations like the Temple Animal Shelter have had trouble placing elsewhere, according to Eason.

Channel 6 News also spoke with Shelly Hewitt, who has also worked with the animals and verified the details of Eason's story.

A version of the initial Facebook post, shared by UNILAD, had yielded nearly three million YouTube views by Tuesday evening.

VERIFY SOURCES: Misti Eason and Shelly Hewitt

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